


let the stars align

by Soapbubblesoul



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: Astrology, Flirting, Fluff, M/M, Mutual Pining, Pining, Sexual Tension, Teasing
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-28
Updated: 2019-11-28
Packaged: 2021-03-05 23:28:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,223
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21598036
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Soapbubblesoul/pseuds/Soapbubblesoul
Summary: Yixing is a libra, in all the most stereotypical ways.
Relationships: Wu Yi Fan | Kris/Zhang Yi Xing | Lay
Comments: 2
Kudos: 18
Collections: November Rain Fest Round 2019





	let the stars align

**Author's Note:**

> Prompt NR052: In which Kris is oblivious and his best friend pines.

Yixing is a libra.

That is the first thing Yifan ever hears about Yixing, when Lu Han introduces the two of them. Lu Han mock whispers it at Yifan, and Yixing laughs and swats at Lu Han for it as if he’s embarrassed by a compliment given. Yifan, not knowing what Lu Han means with that, simply smiles along as if he got the joke. He has never been all that invested in astrology, not even certain he would be able to name all zodiac signs if prompted.

“Libras are magnetic, attractive and highly sought after individuals.” Yifan reads a few days on a website (it’s 4am, he just got home from a party and he might be a bit tipsy but he swears he isn’t _researching_, he doesn’t know how he ended up on a website detailing libra personality traits), and he couldn’t agree more. Yes, Yixing is a libra, in all the most stereotypical ways. He’s charming, he’s captivating, and flirting seems to come to him as easily as breathing. 

It endlessly fascinates Yifan—and he knows very well he’s not the only one who has fallen under Yixing’s spell. Whenever he and Yixing are out anywhere, Yifan catches the entranced glances cast at his friend. Yixing, for some reason, seems to remain oblivious to the admiration. It baffles Yifan, especially when he knows that Yixing is not entirely unaware of his own attractiveness and charm. The confidence with which he grins, and the ease with which he charms others leave no room for any other conclusion. And, more often than not, Yifan is at the receiving end of said charms with no clue how to cope.

“No, but isn’t he handsome?” Yixing nudges Yifan’s side and grins innocently as if he doesn’t see that Yifan’s head about to explode from overheating.

“Wah, so handsome,” Yixing exclaims in awe, facing Yifan with wide eyes as he re-enacts their first encounter, much to the demise of his heart. He splutters, and Yixing easily slips out of the act as he allows his amusement to burst out in peals of laughter.

Yixing’s eyes glint with delight, but Yifan is only privy to a brief glance at it before Yixing turns his attention back to the girl standing with them, leaving Yifan to splutter in peace as Yixing resumes his conversation. Sulking, Yifan takes a swig of his beer, and prays it will wash the embarrassment from his face. He would hope for it to drown the hammering of his heart but he knows that if anything, the presence of alcohol will only aggravate it. Because sober, Yixing is flirty. Drunk, Yixing is flirty _and _touchy, and so much brighter still than he usually is already. His smiles are wider, his laughter uninhibited. He does not second-guess himself the way he tends to do when sober.

Yifan is sure that that must be the reason why Yixing will seek contact so much more often because he does not care if others will misinterpret his signals. From an outsider’s perspective, it must look as if they’re on the verge of dating. They don’t know about Yixing’s playful personality, and how he would do virtually everything to get Yifan flustered. And he worked out early on that compliments are the easiest way to get Yifan red-faced and stammering.

And Yifan can’t even decide what’s worse: When Yixing is teasing him on purpose or when he flirts without even realising what he’s doing. Both leave Yifan equally lost for words but at least with one it’s obvious Yixing isn’t being serious. When Yixing teases him, he is so over the top with his praise that it leaves no room for misinterpreting it as genuine but his flirting—it comes out so natural that Yifan has to consciously remind himself that it means nothing. Yixing is flirty with everyone, it’s his personality and Yifan does not wish to be one of the countless fools who think too much of it.

(He has fallen for Yixing already, he can’t also let himself fall for the illusion that Yixing should actually be interested in him _like that._)

The girl they’re standing with is a classmate of Yixing’s, from what Yifan has gathered, and no matter how often Yixing keeps directing her attention towards Yifan, her gaze stays firmly glued to Yixing. Yifan can tell she’s charmed—how could she not be. He also sees the way she glances at their points of contact—Yixing’s hands brushing Yifan’s arms whenever he speaks about something that excites him, or the way he nudges Yifan’s shoulder with his own to get him to agree to what he just said.

Her eyes show understanding, although Yifan knows that it is a misunderstanding in reality. However, he doesn’t speak up, doesn’t correct the wrong assumptions she draws from the mischievous grins Yixing shoots him or the lingering touches. He has tried before, and it only led to Yixing loudly disagreeing with Yifan and declaring that he was, indeed, off the market because of Yifan. No, Yifan is not going to make that mistake again. It had taken him the entire night and the following day to recover from that.

Their conversation eventually finds a natural end when the girl spots another friend of hers across the room and excuses herself. Yifan waits until she was securely outside hearing distance before turning to Yixing who raises his cup with a grin. “I’m about ready for a refill, how about you?”

Yifan looks at the sad, stale rest of beer swishing at the very bottom of his bottle, and downs it with one single swig. “Ready when you are.”

With a grin Yixing links his arm with Yifan’s and steers them into the direction of the counter that had been turned into an open bar for the party. The words Yifan had almost swallowed back down well up again at the move.

“You really shouldn’t keep doing that,” Yifan speaks up as Yixing is picking out bottles for the drinks he wants to mix.

“Do what?” Yixing asks, not even looking at Yifan. “Making us drinks?”

“You know what I mean,” Yifan declares, and internally curses himself for the words he’s going to say next because he’s essentially shooting himself in the foot. “If you keep this up people will get the wrong impression. This is not how you’ll manage to get with someone.”

Yifan doesn’t really _want _Yixing to show genuine interest in someone else but the rational part of him reasons that perhaps, if he were to witness Yixing flirting _for real _it would be easier to shrug off Yixing’s unintentional flirting.

“Why would I try to get with anyone when I’ve got you?”

This time Yixing looks up, but only briefly before returning to his task. The split second is enough to send Yifan’s heart tumbling, however, because Yixing grin looks both flirtatious and deadpan, as if it was obvious to begin with that Yixing would have no interest.

Yifan contemplates reiterating his point but he has a feeling that no matter what he says, Yixing will not reply seriously. It is a slippery slope for his heart that is falling into the depth of Yixing’s charm, so he silently accepts the finished drink Yixing offers him and empties half of it right away.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much to the mods for being so lenient! I have been hit with a huge writer‘s block, and they have not only granted me a lengthy extension but also allowed me to post my fic as a chaptered work. I will try to get the next chapter up as soon as possible


End file.
